Arizona weekly enterprise., 1887-05-28

building the canal He let the two-mlle contract to MT. James Brash and MT, R. H Martin secured the contract for the balance of the construction work Mr. Martin sub-let portions of the work to Nessrs. John Dunn, Aaron Mason and others.
 It was the good fortune of a represen- tative of the ENTERPRISE to visit the head of the canal on Tuesday, through the hospitality of chief engineer and con struction superintendent A. T. Cotton. The rock work at the head was near com pletion and it was thought 1t would be finished the present week. A very small amount of excavation was still incom plete, and the work of constructing the head gate was started on Tuesday. The company is doing this work under the di- rection of Mir. Cotton, whopurposes mak- ing 1t thoroughly substantial and efec- tive. About one hundred feet of sand excavation is to be made, to connect the canal with the headgate, when the water will enter the conduit at two feet below the present low water mark. Should oc- casion demand it, dam can be cheaply made that will turn large stream of wa ter into the canal at even the lowest pos sible stage of the water. About twenty five men and ten teams with scrapers are now at work completing the excavations at the head. 2,
 About three and one-half miles from the head MT. Aaron Mason is completing his contract of 1900 feet of rock work. He has about 30 men and many teams at work and will finish his contract by the middle of June. By that time WestfalPs camp will be in front of Florence and the canal will be practically finished to this point. Mir. Colton says he will have the water running to Florence by July 1st at the outside.
 From this rlace, bearing in general southwesterly direction, the canal will be constructed towards Casa Grande, and Mir. Thomas thinks that October 1st will witness the completion of the fifty miles designed to be the length of the main ca- nal. Lateral ditches will be constructed thereafter until all the land possible Is reached by the water, and made tlllable. The width of the main canal on the bot tom is twenty-five feet, with sides slop- ing at an angle that will give an average width of thirty-six feet. It is designed to carry volume of water about four feet deep.
 Nearly ell the land along the main canal, so far as it's route IS surveyed, has been taken up by intending settlers, mostly under the desert act. As the further surveys are made entries will fol- low rapidly. as these lands are much sought after. The company, it is under stood, will make very liberal terms with the land owners in supplying water, be- lieving their true policy to be the quick settlement of the country and pleasant | business relations with consumers rather than such exactions as corporations too often make. They will foster the agri- cultural development of the country and give to the poor land owner an epportu- ity to earn his watertax upon the land | hs cultivates. This is an unusual con- cession that characterizes very liberal spirit in the company's management. | It is also an open secret that large
 influx of new people have arranged to come to this place in the fall to settle
 upon the reclaimed lands along the ca
 nal They will represent the energy and
 enterprise of several of the western States and, of course, their success will bring others of Aleir friends to dwell among them.
 The lands along the canal are capable of producing almost every known product of tho temperate zone and many of the semi tropical fruits They are part of the great thermal belt never touched by frost, and are therefore especially desira- ble for the growth of citrus fruits Grapes flourish with remarkable vigor and pro- duetiveness, and the dry atmosphere pc culiarly adapts it for raisin making. It is specially favored section, Tn which almost everything of necessity or luxury can be produced in abundance, and where home In all it's perfection can be creat- ed in very few brief years
 It is a grand enterprise for this portion of Arizona, this Florence canal. It IS destined to start the wheels of progress, and it will lead to other new and equally important developments; to new sources of water supply by means of artesian
 wells and water storage reservoirs, and
 to general and permanent prosperity 1 full of good for everybody.